Stop Plastic Pollution - Choose Eco Friendly Products!

-- Rukmani Vinay Dasarapu.

Website url: https://www.k-digibiz.com/

Some of the jaw dropping views in the world, beautiful places including the wildest and unbelievably lush landscapes; cascading waterfalls, snow-capped peaks and cloud fringed mountains will no longer be pristine windows to absolute serenity. If we continue with our mindless plastic littering habits.
If you want to stop clogging our environment with plastic, there are many alternatives that you can choose from. 

Bengaluru based duo Anitha Shankar (Ani) and Tejshree Madhu (TJ) started Astu Eco Ventures in 2017, with an intent to get rid of the plastic menace. They make beautifully crafted earth friendly products, that are superb alternates to plastics. Right from eco-friendly bags for vegetables and groceries, party packs, tableware, cutlery to customized products.
If carrying bulky cloth / Jute bag to public functions like weddings is not convenient, Astu has created bags that can be wearable. Recently launched Forget-Me-Not pouches that can be easily carried anywhere. 

"Veggie-to-Fridgie shopping bags that was

launched in July 2018 is the most popular among the Astu Products sold here" tells Mayukh a store manager, at The Organic World, Bengaluru.

Astu Eco sells all its products online through their website, the better India shop, Amazon, Face Book, WhatsApp and through emails. Their shoppers are impressed with zero plastic packaging, not even a cello tape.

Dinesh Tadapalli a 32-year-old business man from US shares, " I first heard about Astu Eco in an online article about their innovative Veggie-to-Fridgie bags. In the USA, a lot people have transitioned to use reusable bags at checkout but still use plastic bag at produce section. Astu Eco's innovative way to having the pouches snap-fit to the larger bag using metal buttons. Their areca-based products are with excellent quality and shape that stands out from the competition. Also, I'm impressed by their dedication in researching on new product for the better environment. Their uniqueness shows not just in their product but their effort to make sure customers use them. For example, a reminder door tag/sticker which comes along with their Forget Me Not bag helps customer to lead a plastic free lifestyle". He started Planeteer LLC, to promote and spread the use of eco-friendly products in the US. 

Arjun Shetty, an online consumer was forced to look out for eco-friendly alternatives after Maharashtra government banned plastics. "It is sensible to move to cloth bags, as one cloth bag works for ages versus a plastic bag or which can be used only for couple of weeks", says Arjun. He loves Astu Eco bags. 

Old habits die-hard. Changing your habits is a process that involves several stages. Sometimes it takes a while before changes become new habits. Astu Eco updates thought-provoking videos and demonstrations for changing your plastic addiction through their YouTube channel Eco Beat. Anitha explains, " I think it starts by first understanding what damage we are doing? The extent of the impact in such a short time is almost irreversible - the great garbage patch is one. How did that happen and who was responsible? Everyone who use plastic and throw them indiscriminately. Recycling of plastic is a very small percentage globally. Hardly 2 to 7 %. India is much better in recycling percentage". 

Unmesh Lamture, Manager at "The Better India" the first portal of choice for new and innovative products from Astu Eco. Unmesh feels that plastic is something that largely enters our life when we are “on the go”. We pick up a plastic bottle of water when we are travelling, or we need to use a plastic bag when we pick up groceries after work. A little planning and being prepared is all it takes to lead a plastic free life. "I like their Forget-Me-Not bag, is a petite pouch bag that can be carried anywhere, so even if you buy something unplanned, you don’t need to use a new plastic bag. The folks at Astu Eco are looking at the lifestyles of modern, urban people- perhaps the biggest consumers of plastic- and finding ways to offer a sustainable alternative. This makes it easier to move to a more sustainable paradigm through simple ways".

"It’s like a dream come true for me for the storage of veggies judiciously in to my fridge!! Veggie-to-fridgie…so so convenient to use" shares Gaya Murali, Astu Eco Customer. 

Manisha Soti, 47years started NatureRustic in Singapore after she was fascinated by Areca palm leaf products while on a trip to India. She says that "Astu Eco's products are very sensible and apt for today's consumer. I love their take-away boxes made of areca palm leaves. I feel it is a great product as it eliminates the use of the environment damaging plastic/styrofoam boxes that have become so common. Anitha and TJ are easy to work with as they are open to feedback which helps us to better understand our customers' needs and customize a product accordingly. I love their Veggie to Fridgie bags-right size, good sturdy material, bag comes with 8 various sized pouches to weigh and hold all different types of fruits and veggies, I can finish all my grocery shopping of the week with that bag!" 

Anitha and TJ were startled at how plastic had damaged our environment significantly - cities like Bengaluru are getting flooded because of clogged drains. Plastic pollution has affected - animals in the wild, oceans, and within the cities. Farmers are using plastic cover for drip irrigation, saplings in plastic pouches and many such will eventually make that land non-arable. Landfills like Mandur causing havoc and health hazards to residents in and around, and the list goes on. Instead of just saying stop using plastic they decided to offer alternate products that naturally degradable and are aesthetically appealing.

When asked on how we can further improve the situation Anitha says that, " The Govt needs to be braver. They have to stop production instead of imposing a ban on consumers alone. The primary disposable plastics come from large businesses like Coke, Bisleri, milk, grocery packing etc. they were earlier using glass bottles. What is stopping them now? More importantly research houses, startups, scientists and everyone who can work towards coming up with cost effective functional alternatives should work to bring these into the market ". 

They are working with many B2B companies to replace one time use plastics.

As consumers we need to be more aware that plastic is cheap, but it is a costly mistake, that needs to be paid by the next generation. 

Each of us can collectively make a difference. Choose right, choose biodegradable products!